PORTISHEAD IS BACK!!!!!

It's been 10 long years since their last release 'Roseland NYC Live' and some fans (including myself) were afraid that Portishead had packed it in after 2 albums and a (amazing) live cd. Fear not...Portishead is back!

The album starts of with 'Silence' (a track that is anything but) and once you hear the first few minutes of the track, you feel like it was just yesterday that you heard the last Portishead album. The opening lines are telling you what you are in for, "Wounded and afraid, inside my head/Falling through changes". 'Silence', 'Hunter' and 'Plastic' almost have you thinking that Beth and the boys are back with more of the same. That is where you would be wrong.

The album is filled with a little bit of every genre. 'Deep Water' sounds like something the Squirrel Nut Zippers would do, complete with ukulele and barbershop backing vocals. "Small" is almost a 70' psychedelic jam (I think someone has been listening to a lot of Iron Butterfly). 'The Rip' and 'Nylon Smile' are very reminiscent of Beth Gibbons solo albums (there is nothing wrong with that!) with the 'The Rip' being a very folk feeling song in the vien of Leonard Cohen .

My favorite track on the album 'Machine Gun" , which is also the first single, is an assault of beats and blaring synths with Beth singing softly "recognize the poison in my heart". The ending to 'Machine Gun' sounds like it was plucked straight out of Vangelis' 'Blade Runner' soundtrack, and just like the movie, it too is dark and beautiful (I wish that ending was about five minutes longer, it's so good!).

After listening to this album several times I can honestly say this is my choice for record of the year, so far. I am happy that they have a few tracks to keep the old fan in me happy, but I am really excited to hear the band trying new things. I like being able to grow with a band and with Beth's melancholy voice leading the way, I will gladly follow wherever they decide to go. This album may not please everyone but it sure as hell pleased me. If the next Portishead album is this good I don't mind waiting another 10 years to hear it.

10 out of 10